Works commence on ‘Three Parks Initiative’

Works to rehabilitate the Zoological Park, the Botanical Gardens and the National Park in Georgetown, under the ‘Three Parks Initiative’, which is aimed at preserving and revamping biodiversity parks in Guyana, have begun.
This is according to commissioner of the Protected Areas Commission (PAC) Damian Fernandes, who noted that street lights have already been installed at the National Park and arrangements are being made for increased security at the park to allow for extended opening hours. The playland there has also been upgraded with support from multiple donors, including the Inner Wheel of Georgetown and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). All the waterways have been dredged.
At the Zoo and Botanical Gardens, he noted that the revetment work on the manatee pond has commenced. Rehabilitation of the aquatic birds’ exhibit is also in progress, which will eventually house a walk-through Black Caiman exhibit.
Meanwhile, Fernandes noted that the commission will focus on utilising its 2013 budgetary allocation to rehabilitate and improve basic infrastructure in the green spaces. The initiatives will include works to internal roadways, canals and landmarks.

However, the development of a master plan for the zoo is being supported financially by the Beharry Group of Companies.
Once the plan is completed, further private sector assistance will be sought for the construction of exhibits, in keeping with the finalised and approved master plan, he stated.
Fernandes highlighted that the three parks of Georgetown “provide city dwellers with an opportunity to interact with and learn about nature and biodiversity, while they enjoy their relaxation”.
As such, they play a critical role in helping to maintain its structure and to increase environmental awareness among residents. He said, “In an effort to reconnect the Guyanese public with these green spaces, the Natural Resources and the Environment Ministry, in collaboration with the Protected Areas Commission, recently held a ‘Paint the Parks’ event under the Three Parks Initiative.”
That activity brought together Guyanese from various backgrounds to restore the whitewash on the trees in the National Park and the Botanical Gardens.
In order to create continued awareness about the work of the PAC to preserve biodiversity areas among citizens, the Natural Resources and the Environment Ministry intends to host regular volunteer days, to help restore a sense of collective ownership in the urban spaces “and to begin to use these parks to link urban Guyana with the interior and the protected areas system,”Fernandes explained.
The overall aim of the Three Parks Initiative is to enhance and rehabilitate key facilities and infrastructure in each of the green spaces in Georgetown, thereby improving the quality of services provided to the public.
“The implementation of the Three Parks Initiative is expected to result in increased use, as well as a greater educational role for the parks. For instance, the redesigned zoo will represent the major ecosystems in Guyana and the key animals that live in these areas. Bird watchers in the Botanical Gardens will have better trails along which to observe birds, while those who walk in the National Park will be able to enjoy walks along more scenic trails,” the PAC commissioner pointed out.
The Protected Areas Commission was allocated a sum of Gy$42.9 million in the 2013 National Budget.